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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · pitch · field · branch · lie · present · root · mate

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pitch — completely
  4. roll — a list
  5. root — the cause
  6. roll — a cake
  7. root — of a word
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. field — for sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. present — there
  16. lie — to recline
  17. field — farmland
  18. present — a gift
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mate — a friend
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. field — a subject
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com